MB Classic: 280E (W114) vs E500 Limited (W124) vs E63 AMG (W211)
Excellent article. I haven driven the E500 or the E63 AMG. However, I happen to owe my father's 280E (114/8) 1972 Automatic. The car is in tip top driving condition featuring some useful extras like, 4speed Auto, Original Factory fit York A/C which costed a fortune in '72, Power Steering, fire extinguiser under the driver's seat and the fully functional Becker Mexico Radio Cassette Autoreverse. So far the car has covered 450,000 kms. At 185,0000 kms the cylinders were restored. Engine consumption on the open road with the Auto gearbox between 110 to 130 km/h will give an average of 12.5l/100kms. I have consistently beaten that but I stayed always at around 110km/h which is the best compromise between consumption, speed and noise. Definitely the 5 speed gearbox would have been an excellent option. However, as the car was driven also in mid to heavy Athenian traffic, the Auto was preferred. Excellent brakes and linear motor response from low revs. Yes, the engine is a bit noisy especially over 115km/m. Climate control is still superb after 40 years, providingcompletely independed left-right effective temperatue control. The car was a first generation production featuring the unbelievably practical triangular windows in the two from doors and the twin front bumpers. Unfortunately, they were both discountinued in the second generation major facelift late 1973.
My only correction on the above article is of historic nature. The 280E W114/8 was out in 1972. Therefore it couldn't have been the fastest mid sized car of the mid sixties, but one of the fastest unconspicious midsized limo cars of the early seventies. And that it was!
I will never forget back in summer 1974 our 280E being chased by a MB350SLC (my father driving, I was only 13) at a long straight between Corinth and Kiato primitive national road, "forcing" us to accelerate from 100 to top speed. Although on paper (and fact) the 350 had some extra kms top speed, it never managed to overtake us. I was on the back seat facing backwards, looking right in the eye the astonished 350 driver. His fantastic (admitedly) sports car could not overtake a simple MB mass production "taxi" that Athens was flooded with at that time. Most probably he didn't take the trouble (or never managed to get close enough) to read the magic 280E insignia on the left of the trunk, neither did he get suspicious by the shining double exhaust pipes. Unfortunately also these were dropped from the 2nd generation.
In the end of 2011 the car was inspected and accepted in the Historic Cars of the Hellenic Car Association ELPA. It's original white traffic plates BI4555 were exchanged for the yellow Historic Car IO 4773. It continuous to be serviced meticulously by it's two original MB engineers that are now in their mid 70s and have passed the management of their MB garage to their sons.
The 280E was truly a car in it's own class. It is certain that good cars are still produced in our times. However, I seriously doubt whether they will be around fully fit and drive worthy in 4 decades from now, capable of attracting attention with their classic beauty and syle. Justifiably so the W114-115 series was called "the indestructible"!
